The ISI are pleased to announce that Professor John O' Shea is this year's recipient of their Public Lecture Award. Prof. O' Shea, who is of Irish descent, is an immunologist based at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA.

Prof. O' Shea is the scientific director of the Molecular Immunology and Inflammation Branch at the NIH. A major focus of Prof. O' Shea's research is the study of the molecular mechanisms underlying immune and inflammatory responses in rheumatic and autoimmune diseases

In his public lecture, Prof. O' Shea will discuss two rare immunodeficiency diseases. Learning the molecular basis of these diseases has offered new insights into ways to tackle related diseases by developing new immunosuppressant drugs to counter them.

ISI PUBLIC LECTURE AWARD, 2009: "Learning From Patients: How Rare Diseases Inform Immunology."

Prof. O' Shea will present his RDS/Irish Times/ISI public lecture, entitled: "Learning From Patients: How Rare Diseases Inform Immunology" in the Merrion Room, RDS at 7.00pm on 21st May 2009.

John O' Shea